The funeral services for His Highness Prince Michael Andreevich Romanoff, Prince of Russia, were held on Tuesday, 30 September at the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Sts Peter and Paul, in Strathfield and later at St James’ Anglican Church in King Street Sydney.
The Very Reverend Dr. Michael Prototov OAM officiated at the Cathedral, and the Right Reverend Richard Hurford OAM, Lord Bishop of Bathurst, presided at St. James.
The service at the Cathedral was particularly moving, in the rich Russian choral tradition. A message came to those present from Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and Archbishop of Sydney , Australia and New Zealand.
That at St James was attended by robed members of the Orthodox Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem. The Choir of St James, provided a magnificent choral accompaniment.
The Valedictory was delivered by Bryan Sternton-Gill, and the tributes by the Prince’s niece, Dr. Amanda Dennis, his step-son, Daniel Crespi and Lieutenant Commander Ron Robb, RAN.
The Russian Imperial Anthem, God the Omnipotent! was preceded by a fanfare and followed by the Russian Contakion of the Dead.
The cortege then moved to Botany Cemetery for the interment, before returning to St James Crypt.
The universal comment was that Prince Michael always demonstrated both a rare humility and a deep sense of service.
He was a link, and not only for the Russian community, of this modern nation, Australia, with a world long gone, Imperial Russia.
His most recent visits to Russia allowed him a unique reconciliation with the sad past of that great nation.
Prince Michael is now finally at rest.